1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to magnetoelastic transducers having characteristics very close to being linear and independent of temperature.
2. Prior Art
A known magnetoelastic transducer has a core of laminated or solid magnetostrictive material which is provided with apertures passing through it for an excitation winding and a measuring winding. The excitation winding is supplied from an alternating voltage source for generating a magnetic flux in the core. The measuring winding senses the changes in the flux which occur in the core and preferably in the region between the winding apertures, the so-called measuring zone, when it is subjected to the influence of a force, which may be a compressive force or a tensile force. When the core is subjected to the influence of a force, a voltage is induced in the measuring winding, which voltage is dependent on the changes in the magnetic flux which are caused by the influencing force. Unfortunately, the relationship between the influencing force and the output signal of the transducer, that is the characteristic of the transducer, is not entirely linear but displays a slightly S-shaped characteristic in the case of a compressive load with a suitable excitation, and in the case of a tension load the characteristic proceeds continuously in a completely single-curved characteristic.